News

The Council of Europe’s HELP programme (Human rights Education for Legal Professionals) has launched a new online course on the environment and human rights. The six-hour course, which is available free of charge via the HELP online platform, has been developed by experts on the European Conve

Law firm gunnercooke has announced its launch in Scotland, with new offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and with Simon Etchells as its first appointment at the new Scottish practice: gunnercooke SCO LLP. Mr Etchells said: “This is a fantastic addition to the Scottish market, and I am confident t

Lorna Hale provides a new mum’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities of the last year. Returning from maternity leave can be daunting at the best of times. Before I had my baby, I lost count of the number of times people told me that when I returned nothing would have changed.

CLT Scotland’s new employment conference on 1st June will tackle a number of topical issues as the country returns to the workplace.Chaired by Brodies’ Head of Employment and Immigration, Tony Hadden, the virtual conference will consider what strategies need to be in place to deal with

German teenagers who planned a sophisticated heist to get their hands on school exam papers have received suspended sentences. Three pupils at a school in Bavaria spent months planning a night-time break-in to a safe in their headmaster's office.

A reclaiming motion by a campaigner for Scottish independence against a judge’s decision that his action seeking declarator that the Scottish Parliament could legislate for a second independence referendum without the consent of Westminster was premature and academic has been refused by the&nb

Justice should continue to be administered in person after the pandemic, the Faculty of Advocates, Bar Council of England and Wales, The Bar of Ireland and The Bar Council of Northern Ireland have said. The four bars said in a statement that they recognised "the justice system has undergone changes

Pictured (L-R): Hayley Robertson, Mark Meiklejohn, Nick Marshall, Craig Watt Brodies LLP has welcomed nine new partners, among whom are four internal promotees and five lateral hires.

MacRoberts has promoted Gary Baines to the partnership. Mr Baines joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 2009 and advises on all areas of corporate law involving businesses of all sizes, from local Scottish family businesses to multinationals, frequently with a cross-border element, and including

When Janys Scott QC was asked to represent 27 church leaders in a case relating to whether the Covid-induced closure of churches was lawful, she jumped at the chance. It was, she says, not only an opportunity to test a novel point of law but to explore questions relating to her own faith as well. &l

A revision to the UK government’s right to work policy framework is bemusing some businesses – primarily because it may be seen to override some of the safety principles behind the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, says Kelly Hardman. From May 17, businesses across the UK will need to resum

A quarter of Scottish businesses plan to permanently reduce their office footprint, according to a new survey published by Addleshaw Goddard. The latest Addleshaw Goddard Business Monitor report – produced in partnership with the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Instit

The Advocates Library is at the heart of Scotland’s legal system and the heart of an advocate’s daily practice. It has played a central role in the life of the nation since it was founded in 1682 by the then Lord Advocate Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, who had become Dean of the Facu

Sarah Gilzean explains a recent case in which a male employee on shared parental leave could not compare his treatment with a female on adoption leave. In Price v Powys County Council, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has dismissed an appeal in a sex discrimination claim by a male employee who a

A working group including lawyers, prosecutors and police is set to be established to identify practical measures to reduce the number of non-jury trials taking place in Northern Ireland. Under the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, the Director of Public Prosecutions can direct that